The 2015 MXGP season has come round again after the winter break and the Honda Gariboldi Racing Team are eager to get their MX2 campaign underway beneath the floodlights of Qatar on Friday 27 February.
Following a busy testing schedule and exhaustive development of the CRF250RW in conjunction with Honda and HRC, the team are confident of another step forward with the already race-winning Honda machine.
Rounding out last season with two race victories in Brazil and Mexico, and having recently taken the MX2 crown of the Internazionale d’Italia Motocross Championship, Tim Gajser and the team are riding a wave of momentum.
Slovenian star Gajser, who last year proved himself as one of the frontrunners of the MX2 series, will be the lone representative of the team as teammate and new signing Jorge Zaragoza continues to recover from his testing injury sustained earlier this year.
The Grand Prix of Qatar is the season’s only night race, held customarily under the floodlights of the Losail track. Free practice starts at 1715hrs local time on Friday, and the MX2 races begin at 1910hrs on Saturday 28 February.
Giacomo Gariboldi, Team Principal
“It’s difficult to know exactly where you are until you get to the first race, but I can say that testing over winter has been very positive and we really feel that the bike has taken another big step forward, so I must thank Honda and HRC for all their work in this area. We are feeling good, Tim is feeling very confident and strong and he knows what he has to do over the course of the whole season. We are really excited to get to Qatar and continue this momentum that has been building since Tim’s six podiums last year.”
Tim Gajser, no.243
“I can’t wait to start in Qatar. The bike is very good and Honda and HRC have made a really good step from the 2014 bike. Last year our starts weren’t so good, but now the engine is very powerful. It’s good to have a few races behind us now from the Italian series, and we’re feeling ready. The objective for Qatar is to not take any risks and be consistent – there are 18 races so you have to always be there to have a chance for the championship. It’s always nice to win races, but second and third is still good for the title. Jeffrey is a two-time World Champion so he knows how to do it but I think we have a good chance this year.”